Church Of St Nicholas

The Church of St Nicholas is a parish church located on the north side of London Road in Sholden. It dates back to the 13th century, with 14th-century windows and a tower, and a 17th-century porch. The church underwent significant restoration in the late 19th century. It features a knapped flint exterior and a plain tiled roof, comprising a nave, chancel, north porch, and west tower. The three-stage tower includes string courses, corner buttresses, and a parapet. The nave has restored Y-tracery windows and buttresses, while the chancel is stepped in with renewed lancets and low windows on both the north and south sides. The 17th-century north porch is made of red brick with flint, and its end wall was rebuilt in the 19th century using brown brick. The doorways are also from the 19th century.

Inside, there is a plain chamfered door to the tower, and a fine 15th-century chancel arch supported by round responds with moulded octagonal capitals and bases. The outer order of the arch features a wave moulding that runs all the way around. The inner reveals of the chancel lancets are original 13th-century work. The roofs in the nave, which are from the 19th century, feature crown posts. The nave extends to the north of the chancel and tower, giving the impression of an aisle. The north doorway, dating from the 15th century, has attached shafts and a moulded surround. The church contains 19th-century fittings, including a marble reredos. There are also numerous wall monuments made of black and white marble, primarily from the early to mid-19th century in a Neo-classical style. Notable monuments include one for Sarah Curling, who died in 1845, featuring a draped urn and an enriched bracketed base, signed by J. Milligan from Portland Road, London, and another for Jane Harvey, who died in 1842, which includes a sarcophagus on claw feet with fasces on the sides and a small coffin above, signed by E. Gaffin from Regent Street, London. The church was originally a chapelry of Northbourne.